General Information

Accommodation
For your convenience, accommodation has initially been pre-reserved in the hotels listed on the accommodation page. As communicated, the room-contingents had to be de-blocked on 11 July 2008. However, reservations can still be made using the secure on-line registration form. They will be forwarded to Basel Tourism on a request-basis and Basel Tourism will either confirm your reservation or offer you another accommodation in case the one you have chosen is booked out. Please note that all accommodation-related questions will directly be dealt with by Basel Tourism once the ISC-secretariat will have forwarded your accommodation request.
For your information: Most hotels will provide you with a free ticket for public transport in the urban area of Basel on registration.
Please note that the accommodation costs will not be included in the conference fee and should be paid directly to your hotel. The organising committee will not be responsible for accommodations accounts.

Banks
Banks in Switzerland have very individual business hours; however, they are generally open from 09:00 – 16:30 Monday to Friday. Most banks are closed on weekends and public holidays. ATMs are available 24 hours a day and are located throughout the city. Currency exchange facilities are available at the airport, larger hotels and banks.

Cancellation policy
Cancellations communicated to the ISC Secretariat by 15 July 2008 are subject to a CHF 100 administration fee. Registrants who either cancel after this date or do not attend the conference are liable for the full registration fee.

Certificate of attendance
At the registration desk, we will provide you with an official certificate of attendance on request. Please notify the registration desk on the first conference day if you require a certificate.

"Come Together" on 20 August 2008
As a meeting point for networking and information exchange, a "Come Together" will precede the ISC 2008 on Wednesday 20 August 2008, starting at 18:00. Like the conference itself, it will be held in the main building of the University of Basel (see Venue). Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages will be served. It will be possible to pre-register for the conference at the same venue from 16:00-20:00.

Conference Dinner
If you wish to register for the conference dinner, you may do so either electronically on the official ISC registration form or in person at the registration desk on the first conference day, Thursday 21 August 2008, before 14:00. Please note that the cost of the conference dinner (CHF 100) is not included in the conference fee.

Conference Fee
The conference fee includes participation in all sessions, conference proceedings, refreshment breaks, lunches on both conference days, and the "Come Together" on Wednesday evening, 20 August 2008. Please note that all fees must be paid in CHF (Swiss Francs).
                                                   
Before 30 June 2008 you can take advantage of the reduced "early bird" registration fee. The normal registration fee will apply after this date.

Early bird fee: CHF 550
Normal fee: CHF 650

Please note that presenters are required to register before the conference.

Until 10 August 2008, we will accept Visa or MasterCard as well as bank transfer (see details below). You are also welcome to make use of the on-site registration; however, payment must be made in cash if you register in person at the conference. Several ATMs are located nearby; please contact the registration desk for further information.

Bank Transfer

Reduced fee
PhD students are eligible to register at a reduced fee of CHF 250. We require a copy of a valid student identification card which must be sent to the Conference Secretariat together with the registration form (either by fax or e-mail). Please note that registration cannot be completed unless a valid student identification card is provided.
The students’ conference fee includes participation in all open sessions, conference proceedings, refreshment breaks, lunches on both conference days and the "Come Together" on Wednesday evening, 20 August 2008.

Participants – primarily outstanding young researchers – from developing countries or from a number of countries in Eastern Europe and the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union can apply for additional funding/sponsorships.

Conference information / personal badge
On registration you will receive a personal badge and other conference information including the updated version of the conference programme. We kindly ask you the wear the badge for the duration of the Conference. The organisers would appreciate it if you would return your badge to the registration desk at the end of the conference.

Conference Programme
Detailed and regularly updated information on the programme is available online at the ISC 2008 website. You will receive a hardcopy version of the latest conference programme on registration in Basel.

Conference Secretariat
If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Conference Secretariat:
                                                 
Yvonne Scherrer, MA & MAS
c/o University of Basel
Program Sustainability Research
Klingelbergstrasse 50
CH-4056 Basel
Fax: +41 61 267 07 75
Email: isc@unibas.ch

Confirmation of registration
Confirmation of your registration will be sent to you by email.

Credit Cards
Credit Cards are widely accepted. Commonly recognised cards include Visa and MasterCard. Both cards are accepted if you pay the conference fee in advance. However, if you register on-site, payment must be made in cash (CHF/Swiss Francs). Several ATMs are located close to the university; please ask for further information at the registration desk.

Date and location
The 2nd International Sustainability Conference ISC 2008 will be held in Basel, Switzerland, in the main building of the University of Basel on 21-22 August 2008 (see Venue).

University of Basel
Petersplatz 1
CH-4000 Basel
Switzerland

Delegate List
A delegate list showing name and affiliation (but not your email-address) will be supplied to all Conference attendees including sponsors. Please e-mail the Conference Secretariat before 14 July 2008 if you do not wish to have your name and affiliation included on the delegate list.

Disabled Facilities
All conference rooms can be accessed by wheelchair. If you require disability-specific facilities, please notify the Conference Secretariat in advance.

Disclaimer
While we have endeavoured to ensure that all information on the conference website and all printed material is accurate, all details are subject to change without notice. Any corrections or amendments will be updated on the conference website as soon as possible.
In the event of industrial disruptions or service provider failure, the Conference organisers accept no responsibility for losses incurred.

Electricity

The electrical supply is 220 volts; most city hotels provide 110 volts for shavers. Power sockets usually look like the one in the picture. Two- or three-pin plugs can be used. We recommend that you check whether you will need an adapter to use your electrical appliances (including e.g. your laptop). Please note that this already applies to visitors from Germany.

Emergency Numbers

Internet
An Internet room with approx. 20 workstations will be available at the conference venue. Detailed access information (login etc.) will be included in the general conference information distributed on the initial registration.

Insurance
Registration fees do not include personal travel or health insurance of any kind. It is strongly recommended that you check whether arrangements for appropriate insurance cover are necessary. The organising committee takes no responsibility for any delegate failing to take out adequate insurance cover.

Invitation Letters
The Conference will issue a very limited number of invitation letters. Generally, invitation letters are issued only to researchers who will substantially contribute to the conference by presenting their scientific work in one of the sessions. Applicants are therefore requested to submit their abstract on time (see Dates), indicating in a separate e-mail to the Conference Secretariat (isc@unibas.ch) their interest in receiving an invitation letter. Please note that invitation letters will only be issued if the abstract has been accepted by the Advisory Committee and after the official registration of the presenter and payment of the entire conference fee (either via bank account or by credit card). Please note that in the case of invitation letters, we regret that we are unable to accept payment in cash on site.

Language
The official language of the conference is English.

Liability
The Conference Organisers shall not be held liable for personal accidents or losses or damage to private property of registered delegates of the Conference. Delegates should make their own arrangements with respect to personal insurance.

Lunches & coffee breaks
Participants who registered for the entire conference will receive vouchers for lunches on Thursday and Friday. The vouchers will be handed out on registration and will reflect each delegate’s personal preference (vegetarian or non-vegetarian). Please notify the Conference Secretariat in advance if you have special dietary requirements. Coffee, tea and snacks will be served to all conference participants during the morning and afternoon breaks.
Please note that lunches are not provided for participants who wish to attend only a chosen keynote speech.

Messages
Messages for participants, as well as programme changes and news items, will be posted on a notice board close to the registration desk.

Parking
No parking is provided at the conference venue. Several commercial car parks are located nearby (see Useful Websites / Travel Information).

Photocopying at the Conference
Photocopying facilities at the conference venue are very limited. Consequently, please ensure that you bring along a sufficient number of any handouts that you may wish to distribute.

Presentations
For each accepted contribution, one person must register before the conference using the official registration form. Only contributions which will be presented at the conference will enter the conference proceedings.
The duration of an oral presentation is 15 minutes, followed by 5 minutes for discussion and transition to the subsequent speaker. After the presentation of all contributions of a workgroup, a joint group discussion will take place. However, the allocation of session codes, time slots and the exact amount of time for each presentation will be at the discretion of the session chair and is subject to change. Nevertheless it is our aim to stick to the presentation times since we want to encourage audience participation and discussion.

The conference rooms will be equipped with:

• 1 computer with Windows XP and Office
• 1 beamer
• 1 overhead projector

Please note:

1. Presenters are asked to hand in their presentation(s) at the registration desk no later than two hours before the session starts.
2. Only presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt) or Adobe PDF (.pdf) will be accepted.
3. Presentations on CD-ROM and USB memory stick will also be accepted. Please note that we are equipped with PCs and you should therefore ensure that your data medium is DOS-compatible (i.e. not MAC etc.). Presenters are not allowed to connect their own computers.
4. If you intend to use a format other than those listed above, please inform the Conference Secretariat in advance.

Publication of papers
A selection of the papers presented at ISC 2008 will be published in special issues (most likely special issues of the "International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology", the "Journal of Business Ethics" and "Business Strategy and the Environment"). The double-blind review process will take place after the conference; full paper submission deadline is planned for 31 January 2009. More information will be given on this site from 20 September 2008 on.

Registration on site
Pre-conference registration is open on Wednesday, 20 August 2008, from 18:00 – 20:00 in the main building of the University of Basel, Petersplatz 1 (see Venue). The "Come Together" starts at 18:00 in the same location. On 21-22 August 2008 the registration desk will open at 8:00.

Online Registration Deadline
The final deadline for online conference registration is 11 August 2008. After this date registration will only be possible on site in Basel. Please note that only payment in cash (CHF/Swiss Francs) will be accepted for on-site registration (see Credit Cards).

Sightseeing / guided tours
If you are interested in learning more about the city of Basel and/or exploring its beautiful surroundings, please check out the official website of Basel Tourism where various tours are described.

Smoking policy
The conference venue is a non-smoking venue.

Sponsorships
It is planned that a limited number of sponsorships will be available to support outstanding researchers. The Conference Organisers will submit two proposals to the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) so as to obtain a Conference Grant enabling a limited number of scientists from developing countries or from a number of countries in Eastern Europe and the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union to attend the conference.
While there is no specification regarding participants from developing countries, eligible participants from Eastern Europe/NIS should come from the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia-Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.
The grants will cover the conference fee and accommodation during the conference and contribute towards travel expenses.
If you are interested in a sponsorship, please indicate this on the official abstract submission form under "Comments". The Conference Secretariat will then send you an e-mail asking you to submit an application containing a Curriculum Vita, a list of your publications and a minimum-cost travel budget. Please note that these sponsorships are only available to researchers who submit their abstracts in good time (see Dates) and whose contributions have been accepted by the Advisory Committee. Confirmation of your sponsorship request is therefore only possible after the meeting of the Advisory Committee’s board in spring 2008.

Travel Information
Please note that most hotels will provide you with a free ticket for public transport in the urban area of Basel on registration. The hotels pre-reserved by the Conference Organisers (see Accommodation) are all easily accessible from the Central Railway station ("Bahnhof SBB") using the local public transport system (tram/bus).

Arrival at the EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse:

Take the Swiss exit, go to the bus stop in front of the airport, buy a ticket from the green ticket machine for 2 zones (you will need coins, either Swiss Francs or euros), take bus No. 50 to the Central Railway station ("Bahnhof SBB"), change to bus No. 30 and get off either at the stop "Universität" or at the stop "Spalentor" (the journey will take approx. 25 minutes in total). From there you will easily find the main building of the University ("Kollegiengebäude") (see Venue). At the airport exit you will also find taxis (approx. CHF 30 one way, 10 minutes' duration).

Arrival at Zurich-Kloten:

Take the shuttle train to Basel Central Railway station ("Bahnhof SBB"). Proceed from Basel Central Railway station as described below.

Arrival by train:

There are two main stations in Basel, the Swiss central station ("Bahnhof SBB") and the German railway station ("Basel Badischer Bahnhof"). Participants coming from Germany should not leave at the German railway station but proceed to Bahnhof SBB. All trains coming from within Switzerland or from France will end at the Swiss central station ("Bahnhof SBB"). From there it is quite easy to find the conference venue: Leave the station by following signs for the city centre, buy a short-distance ticket at one of the green ticket machines outside the station (press "K", there are also machines that accept euros), take bus No. 30 and get off either at the "Universität" stop or at the "Spalentor" stop (the journey will take 5 minutes). From there you will easily find the main building of the University ("Kollegiengebäude") (see Venue).

Arrival by car:

We do not recommend coming by car. No parking is provided at the conference venue. A number of commercial car parks are located nearby (see Useful websites).

Useful Websites

(Some websites are unfortunately only available in German)

• University of Basel
• University of Applied Sciences of North-Western Switzerland
• City map
• The official website of the city of Basel
• Currency Converter
• Basel Tourist Office
• "MyBasel" Calendar of Events
• Swiss Railways SBB
• French Railways SNCF
• German Railways DB
• Timetable of the public transport system in Basel
• Overview of public parking downtown

VAT
Value Added Tax (VAT or in German "Mehrwertsteuer", "MwSt") is levied on most goods and is included in the display price of most goods.

Visa Information
Visas are not required for citizens of most European countries and many other countries. Valid documents are sufficient in most cases. Foreign participants are advised to go through the Swiss Immigration procedures. For more details, please refer to the official website.
We urge international participants to apply for Swiss visas and to arrange travel and accommodation as soon as possible in order to avoid disappointment.